 Kerry enjoys a commanding lead |
John Kerry has reinforced his claim to the Democratic presidential nomination, with wins in Idaho, Utah and Hawaii. With most of the votes counted, Mr Kerry is well ahead of his nearest rival, John Edwards.
In the Idaho caucus, Mr Kerry holds a 54% to 22% lead, while in the Utah primary, he has a 55% to 30% advantage.
In Hawaii, Mr Kerry has 46%, while Dennis Kucinich - the only candidate to campaign there - picked up 30% for second place. Mr Edwards had 13%.
Neither Mr Kerry nor Mr Edwards campaigned in the three states, concentrating instead on next week's so-called Super Tuesday primaries, when more than 1,000 delegates are at stake. Between them, Hawaii, Idaho and Utah will send just 61 delegates to the party's nominating convention in July, when the Democrat's presidential candidate will be chosen.
Before the latest polls, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry has won 15 of the 17 contests held since January and is seeking to establish an unassailable lead come next Tuesday.
Bush 'on the run'
The leading candidates traded verbal broadsides with George W Bush on Monday, as the president waded into the election fray.
 Bush rounded on the Democrats |
Mr Kerry, campaigning in New York and Ohio, said the president was worried enough to hit the campaign trail earlier than planned. The president was "on the run because he doesn't have a record to run on", he said.
Mr Edwards, who was in Georgia and Texas, said the Democrats offered "leadership and hope, the Republicans want to exploit fears and relitigate the past".
Earlier, in a speech to Republican governors, President Bush said his rivals would leave the US "uncertain in the face of danger".
Voters will decide "between two visions of government - one that encourages enterprise and one that raises taxes".
Mr Bush defended the latest unemployment figures of 5.6%, calling the rate "a pretty good national number".
The issue has become a major topic in the election campaign, with Democrats accusing the White House of being insensitive to the plight of the unemployed.
DELEGATE COUNT: LEADING CANDIDATES Most delegates who vote for a candidate at the national presidential nominating convention are allocated according to a candidate's support in state-wide caucuses or polls; some delegates are assigned for party leaders and elected officials to allocate.
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